ORANGE COUNTY, Fla- With the goal of preventing future catastrophic wildfires while maintaining natural ecological systems, land managers with the Orange County Parks and Recreation Division are planning to perform prescribed burns within the Tibet-Butler Preserve beginning Tuesday, October 6th pending suitable weather conditions.
                        
The site is located on County Road 535, north of the Walt Disney World Resort Area.  County lands are managed as natural areas and periodic fires are needed to keep the systems in good condition.  Fire is a natural and important ecological force, which has shaped the property over the years.  Plants and animals that live in these systems are adapted to and depend upon periodic fires for their continued survival.
                       
Benefits of prescribed burning include the removal of accumulated fuels; the increase of wildlife and wildflowers; and the restoration of scenic vistas across the preserve as undergrowth is reduced. 
                       
Land managers need a narrow range of weather conditions outlined in the fire prescription. This prescription considers such things as ground moisture, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and the ability of the atmosphere to carry smoke harmlessly away from the area.  The Florida Division of Forestry must agree with the fire prescription and issue a permit to allow the prescribed fire.

For more information regarding the prescribed fire or Tibet-Butler Preserve, please contact the Preserve at 407-876-6696.
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